71 Then Elisha said , "Listen to the word of the Lord ; thus says the Lord , ' Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel , and two measures of barley for a shekel , in the gate of Samaria .' " 2 The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said , "Behold , if the Lord should make windows in heaven , could this thing be?" Then he said , "Behold , you will see it with your own eyes , but you will not eat of it."
3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate ; and they said to one another , "Why do we sit here until we die ? 4 "If we say , 'We will enter the city ,' then the famine is in the city and we will die there ; and if we sit here , we die also. Now therefore come , and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans . If they spare us, we will live ; and if they kill us, we will but die ." 5 They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans ; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans , behold , there was no one there . 6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses , even the sound of a great army , so that they said to one another , "Behold , the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians , to come upon us." 7 Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight , and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys , even the camp just as it was, and fled for their life . 8 When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp , they entered one tent and ate and drank , and carried from there silver and gold and clothes , and went and hid them; and they returned and entered another tent and carried from there also, and went and hid them. 9 Then they said to one another , "We are not doing right . This day is a day of good news , but we are keeping silent ; if we wait until morning light , punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come , let us go and tell the king's household ." 10 So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city , and they told them, saying , "We came to the camp of the Arameans , and behold , there was no one there , nor the voice of man , only e the horses tied and the donkeys tied , and the tents just as they were." 11 The gatekeepers called and told it within the king's household .
12 Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants , "I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry ; therefore they have gone from the camp to hide themselves in the field , saying , 'When they come out of the city , we will capture them alive and get into the city .' " 13 One of his servants said , "Please , let some men take five of the horses which remain , which are left in the city. Behold , they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold , they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished , so let us send and see ." 14 They took therefore two chariots with horses , and the king sent after the army of the Arameans , saying , "Go and see ." 15 They went after them to the Jordan , and behold , all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste . Then the messengers returned and told the king . 16 So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans . Then a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel , according to the word of the Lord . 17 Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate ; but the people trampled on him at the gate , and he died just as the man of God had said , who spoke when the king came down to him. 18 It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king , saying , " Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel , will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria ." 19 Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said , "Now behold , if the Lord should make windows in heaven , could such a thing be?" And he said , "Behold , you will see it with your own eyes , but you will not eat of it." 20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died .
81 Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life , saying , "Arise and go with your household , and sojourn wherever you can sojourn ; for the Lord has called for a famine , and it will even come on the land for seven years ." 2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God , and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years . 3 At the end of seven years , the woman returned from the land of the Philistines ; and she went out to appeal to the king for her house and for her field . 4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi , the servant of the man of God , saying , "Please relate to me all the great things that Elisha has done ." 5 As he was relating to the king how he had restored to life the one who was dead , behold , the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and for her field . And Gehazi said , "My lord , O king , this is the woman and this is her son , whom Elisha restored to life ." 6 When the king asked the woman , she related it to him. So the king appointed for her a certain officer , saying , "Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now ."
7 Then Elisha came to Damascus . Now Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick , and it was told him, saying , " The man of God has come here e ." 8 The king said to Hazael , " Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God , and inquire of the Lord by him, saying , 'Will I recover from this sickness ?' " 9 So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand , even every kind of good thing of Damascus , forty camels' loads ; and he came and stood before him and said , " Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying , 'Will I recover from this sickness ?' " 10 Then Elisha said to him, " Go , say to him, 'You will surely recover ,' but the Lord has shown me that he will certainly die ." 11 He fixed his gaze steadily on him until he was ashamed , and the man of God wept . 12 Hazael said , "Why does my lord weep ?" Then he answered , "Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel : their strongholds you will set on fire , and their young men you will kill with the sword , and their little ones you will dash in pieces , and their women with child you will rip up." 13 Then Hazael said , "But what is your servant , who is but a dog , that he should do this great thing ?" And Elisha answered , " The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram ." 14 So he departed from Elisha and returned to his master , who said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?" And he answered , "He told me that you would surely recover ." 15 On the following day , he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face , so that he died . And Hazael became king in his place .
16 Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel , Jehoshaphat being then the king of Judah , Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king . 17 He was thirty-two e years old when he became king , and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem . 18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel , just as the house of Ahab had done , for the daughter of Ahab became his wife ; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord . 19 However, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah , for the sake of David His servant , since He had promised him to give a lamp to him through his sons always e . 20 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah , and made a king over themselves. 21 Then Joram crossed over to Zair , and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots ; but his army fled to their tents . 22 So Edom revolted against e e Judah to this day . Then Libnah revolted at the same time . 23 The rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did , are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles e of the Kings of Judah ? 24 So Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David ; and Ahaziah his son became king in his place .
25 In the twelfth e year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel , Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign . 26 Ahaziah was twenty-two e years old when he became king , and he reigned one year in Jerusalem . And his mother's name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel . 27 He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the Lord , like the house of Ahab had done, because he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab . 28 Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead , and the Arameans wounded Joram . 29 So King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram . Then Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick .
91 Now Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, " Gird up your loins , and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth-gilead . 2 "When you arrive there , search out Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi , and go in and bid him arise from among his brothers , and bring him to an inner room . 3 "Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say , 'Thus says the Lord , " I have anointed you king over Israel ."' Then open the door and flee and do not wait ." 4 So the young man , the servant of the prophet , went to Ramoth-gilead . 5 When he came , behold , the captains of the army were sitting , and he said , "I have a word for you, O captain ." And Jehu said , "For which one of us?" And he said , "For you, O captain ." 6 He arose and went into the house , and he poured the oil on his head and said to him, "Thus says the Lord , the God of Israel , ' I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord , even over Israel . 7 'You shall strike the house of Ahab your master , that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets , and the blood of all the servants of the Lord , at the hand of Jezebel . 8 'For the whole house of Ahab shall perish , and I will cut off from Ahab every male e person both bond and free in Israel . 9 ' I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat , and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah . 10 ' The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel , and none shall bury her."' Then he opened the door and fled .
11 Now Jehu came out to the servants of his master , and one said to him, " Is all well ? Why did this mad fellow come to you?" And he said to them, "You know very well the man and his talk ." 12 They said , "It is a lie , tell us now ." And he said , "Thus and thus he said to me, 'Thus says the Lord , "I have anointed you king over Israel .""' 13 Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps , and blew the trumpet , saying , "Jehu is king !"
14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram . Now Joram with all Israel was defending Ramoth-gilead against e Hazael king of Aram , 15 but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram . So Jehu said , "If this is your mind , then let no one escape or leave e the city to go tell it in Jezreel ."
16 Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel , for Joram was lying there . Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram . 17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the company of Jehu as he came , and said , "I see a company ." And Joram said , "Take a horseman and send him to meet them and let him say , 'Is it peace ?' " 18 So a horseman went to meet him and said , "Thus says the king , 'Is it peace ?' " And Jehu said , " What have you to do with peace ? Turn behind e me." And the watchman reported , "The messenger came to them, but he did not return ." 19 Then he sent out a second horseman , who came to them and said , "Thus says the king , 'Is it peace ?' " And Jehu answered , "What have you to do with peace ? Turn behind e me." 20 The watchman reported , "He came even to them, and he did not return ; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi , for he drives furiously ." 21 Then Joram said , "Get ready ." And they made his chariot ready . Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot , and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the property of Naboth the Jezreelite . 22 When Joram saw Jehu , he said , "Is it peace , Jehu ?" And he answered , "What peace , so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many ?" 23 So Joram reined e about e and fled and said to Ahaziah , " There is treachery , O Ahaziah !" 24 And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his arms ; and the arrow went through his heart and he sank in his chariot . 25 Then Jehu said to Bidkar his officer , "Take him up and cast him into the property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite , for I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab his father , that the Lord laid this oracle against him: 26 'Surely e I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons ,' says the Lord , 'and I will repay you in this property ,' says the Lord . Now then, take and cast him into the property , according to the word of the Lord ."
27 When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house . And Jehu pursued him and said , "Shoot him too , in the chariot ." So they shot him at the ascent of Gur , which is at Ibleam . But he fled to Megiddo and died there . 28 Then his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his grave with his fathers in the city of David . 29 Now in the eleventh e year of Joram , the son of Ahab , Ahaziah became king over Judah .
30 When Jehu came to Jezreel , Jezebel heard of it, and she painted e her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window . 31 As Jehu entered the gate , she said , " Is it well , Zimri , your master's murderer ?" 32 Then he lifted up his face to the window and said , "Who is on my side ? Who ?" And two or three officials looked down at him. 33 He said , "Throw her down ." So they threw her down , and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses , and he trampled her under foot. 34 When he came in, he ate and drank ; and he said , "See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter ." 35 They went to bury her, but they found nothing more e of her than e the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands . 36 Therefore they returned and told him. And he said , "This is the word of the Lord , which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite , saying , ' In the property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel ; 37 and the corpse of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel , so they cannot say , "This is Jezebel .""'
11 In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God , and the Word was God . 2 [1]He was in the beginning with God . 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing e came into being that has come into being . 4 In Him was life , and the life was the Light of men .
5 The Light shines in the darkness , and the darkness did not [2]comprehend it. 6 There [3]came a man sent from God , whose name was John . 7 [4]He came [5] as a witness , to testify about the Light , so that all might believe through him. 8 [6] He was not the Light , but he came to testify about the Light . 9 There was the true Light [7]which , coming into the world , enlightens every man . 10 He was in the world , and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His [8]own , and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God , even to those who believe in His name , 13 who were [9]born , not of [10]blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man , but of God . 14 And the Word became flesh , and [11] dwelt among us, and we saw His glory , glory as of [12]the only begotten from the Father , full of grace and truth .
15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying , "This was He of whom I said , ' He who comes after me [13]has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.' " 16 For of His fullness [14]we have all received , and [15]grace upon grace . 17 For the Law was given through Moses ; grace and truth [16]were realized through Jesus Christ . 18 No one has seen God at any time ; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father , He has explained Him.
19 This is the testimony of John , when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 And he confessed and did not deny , but confessed , " I am not [17]the Christ ." 21 They asked him, "What then ? Are you Elijah ?" And he said , "I am not." "Are you the Prophet ?" And he answered , "No ." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself ?" 23 He said , "I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS , 'MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE Lord ,' as Isaiah the prophet said ." 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees . 25 They asked him, and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing , if you are not the [18]Christ , nor Elijah , nor the Prophet ?" 26 John answered them saying , " I baptize [19]in water , but among you stands One whom you do not know . 27 "It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie ." 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan , where John was baptizing .
(Read John 1:1-5)
The plainest reason why the Son of God is called the Word, seems to be, that as our words explain our minds to others, so was the Son of God sent in order to reveal his Father's mind to the world. What the evangelist says of Christ proves that he is God. He asserts, His existence in the beginning; His coexistence with the Father. The Word was with God. All things were made by him, and not as an instrument. Without him was not any thing made that was made, from the highest angel to the meanest worm. This shows how well qualified he was for the work of our redemption and salvation. The light of reason, as well as the life of sense, is derived from him, and depends upon him. This eternal Word, this true Light shines, but the darkness comprehends it not. Let us pray without ceasing, that our eyes may be opened to behold this Light, that we may walk in it; and thus be made wise unto salvation, by faith in Jesus Christ.
(Read John 1:6-14)
John the Baptist came to bear witness concerning Jesus. Nothing more fully shows the darkness of men's minds, than that when the Light had appeared, there needed a witness to call attention to it. Christ was the true Light; that great Light which deserves to be called so. By his Spirit and grace he enlightens all that are enlightened to salvation; and those that are not enlightened by him, perish in darkness. Christ was in the world when he took our nature upon him, and dwelt among us. The Son of the Highest was here in this lower world. He was in the world, but not of it. He came to save a lost world, because it was a world of his own making. Yet the world knew him not. When he comes as a Judge, the world shall know him. Many say that they are Christ's own, yet do not receive him, because they will not part with their sins, nor have him to reign over them. All the children of God are born again. This new birth is through the word of God as the means, 1 Peter 1:23, and by the Spirit of God as the Author. By his Divine presence Christ always was in the world. But now that the fulness of time was come, he was, after another manner, God manifested in the flesh. But observe the beams of his Divine glory, which darted through this veil of flesh. Men discover their weaknesses to those most familiar with them, but it was not so with Christ; those most intimate with him saw most of his glory. Although he was in the form of a servant, as to outward circumstances, yet, in respect of graces, his form was like the Son of God His Divine glory appeared in the holiness of his doctrine, and in his miracles. He was full of grace, fully acceptable to his Father, therefore qualified to plead for us; and full of truth, fully aware of the things he was to reveal.
(Read John 1:15-18)
As to the order of time and entrance on his work, Christ came after John, but in every other way he was before him. The expression clearly shows that Jesus had existence before he appeared on earth as man. All fulness dwells in him, from which alone fallen sinners have, and shall receive, by faith, all that renders them wise, strong, holy, useful, and happy. Our receivings by Christ are all summed up in this one word, grace; we have received "even grace," a gift so great, so rich, so invaluable; the good will of God towards us, and the good work of God in us. The law of God is holy, just, and good; and we should make the proper use of it. But we cannot derive from it pardon, righteousness, or strength. It teaches us to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour, but it cannot supply the place of that doctrine. As no mercy comes from God to sinners but through Jesus Christ, no man can come to the Father but by him; no man can know God, except as he is made known in the only begotten and beloved Son.
(Read John 1:19-28)
John disowns himself to be the Christ, who was now expected and waited for. He came in the spirit and power of Elias, but he was not the person of Elias. John was not that Prophet whom Moses said the Lord would raise up to them of their brethren, like unto him. He was not such a prophet as they expected, who would rescue them from the Romans. He gave such an account of himself, as might excite and awaken them to hearken to him. He baptized the people with water as a profession of repentance, and as an outward sign of the spiritual blessings to be conferred on them by the Messiah, who was in the midst of them, though they knew him not, and to whom he was unworthy to render the meanest service.
